SAN ANTONIO, Tex. -- Throughout the week, California's silent commits were pushing five-star defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy to pull the trigger today at the US Army All-American Bowl. Despite his father's urging, McCarthy decided that he wanted to make his decision on national television, and he wound up picking the Bears.

"I like the fact that they have coach Tosh and he said he won't leave the program for a while," McCarthy said of his primary recruiter: defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi. "He's a really good coach, I think. One of my goals is to go to the League, and he's put a couple of players in the League, in the first round."

Several of McCarthy's teammates on the West squad - including Cal's first commitment on Saturday in wide receiver Jordan Payton -- were on McCarthy all week about not just making a decision, but making the decision.

"They talked to me every day about it," McCarthy smiled. "Mostly it's Jordan Payton. He was talking to me about going to Cal all the time."

Though McCarthy has not paid a visit to either of his two finalists - Cal and USC - he does plan on making official visits to both before signing day. He's already been there on an unofficial, but much has changed in Strawberry Canyon since he last paid a visit.

"I've only been on an official to Oregon, but if I committed [to Cal], I would go on an official," McCarthy said. "I've been on an unofficial there, and I really liked it. They gave me a tour around the school and I actually saw their weight room when it wasn't done. It wasn't even close, at all. It was actually just a building, with nothing in there. That was back in, I want to say, last May."